Nut-lock.



N0. 703,0!5. Patented June 24, "I902.

' J. H. SWINDELL.

NUT LOCK.

(Application filed Mar. 14, 1900.)

(N0 Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HENRY SXVINDELL, OF PENSACOLA, FLORIDA.

NUT-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,015, dated June 24,1902.

Application filed March 14, 1900. Serial No. 8,632. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES HENRY SWIN- DELL,a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Pensacola, in the county of Escambia and State ofFlorida, have invented a new and useful Nut-Lock, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to nut-locks, and has for its object to providean improved device of this character in which all separate and movableparts are dispensed with, so as to preclude the possibility of loss orderangement of the locking means, and thereby to maintain the device inproper condition for immediate application to lock the nut. It isfurthermore designed to provide means for facilitating the offsetting ofa portion of the thread of the bolt laterally, so as to form aninterlocked connection between the nut and the bolt to preventaccidental loosening of the former and at the same time permitting ofthe nut being removed by the application of force, and finally toprovide means for plainly indicating the point where the bolt-thread isoffset to prevent the offset portion of the bol thread from breakingwhen being displaced.

My invention consists in the peculiar construction and combination ofdevices herein after fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a bolt and a nutequipped with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of thenut and showing the notch orrecess into which the threads of the boltare-t0 be upset. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of Fig. 1 and illustratesthe manner of upsetting the threads of the bolt to form the interlockedconnection between the latter and the nut.

Corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings aredesignated by like characters of reference.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates any common orordinary screwthreaded bolt, having a nut 2 fitted to the screw-threadedportion thereof in the usual manner. It will be understood that theseparts may have any common or preferred form, as the novelty of thepresent invention resides in a slight change in the nut only and is notdependent upon the shape thereof.

In carrying out the invention a notch or re cess 3 is formed in theouter face of the nut and at the edge of the threaded bore thereof. Thisnotch or recess is comparatively shallow and in the form of a surfacedepression, so as not to weaken the nut, and is located in advance ofthe point where one of the grooves of the screw-threads of the bore ofthe nut comes out at the outer face of the latter, as plainly shown inFig. 2 of the drawings.

1n the operation of the device the nut is set to the desired positionupon the bolt and then any suitable instrument, as a punch 4, is placedagainst the thread of the bolt, which engages the groove 5,and overhangsthe notch or surface depression 3, as indicated by the dot-ted line inFig. 2 of the drawings, and one or more blows are struck upon the punch,so as to bend or upset a portion of the thread of the bolt and spread ormash the same into the surface depression or recess and against thewalls thereof, whereby an interlocked connection is formed between thenut and the bolt to prevent accidental loosening of the former. The backor base of the depression is but slightly within the plane of the outerface of the nut, so that the thread of the bolt is designed to be forcedor upset directly into contact with said base or back, whereby thelatter forms a support for the upset portion of the thread and preventsthe same from being broken out under the action of the implementemployed to upset the thread. It will of course be understood that thenut may be loosened by the application of force; but it is effectivelyheld against accidental displacement by jarring or movement of theobject to which the bolt and nut may be applied. Although but one recesshas been shown, it will be understood that a plurality may be employed,as may be found necessary or convenient; but ordinarily one recess issufiicient.

As shown in Fig. 1, there is a rib 6 extendin g radially outward fromthe notch or recess 8 and is designed to form means for indicating thelocation of the notch or recess. Instead of a rib a groove 7 may beemployed. It is preferable to have these indicating means extend to theextreme edge of the nut, so that they may be readily seen or felt by thehand to plainly indicate the position of the notch or recess, which iscomparatively small, and therefore not readily discernible.

Vhile itis preferable, it is not essential that a depression be formedfor the reception of the upset portion of the threads of the bolt, assaid upset portion may merely engage the outer face of the nut, whichwill have the desired result of preventing unscrewing ofthe latter.However, it is essential that the threads be upset at a certain pointwith relation to the threads of the nut in order that there may be nolooseness to the nut. As hereinbefore set forth, this point is at orjust in advance of where one of the grooves of the bolt-opening comesout through the face of the nut, and in order that the threads of thebolt may be upset at the proper place I have provided the face of thenut with means for indicating such place-as, for instance, by means ofthe rib, the depression, or the groove.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that the essential objectof the present invention is to insure the upsetting of a boltthread atthe best point for efiectively interlocking the nut and the bolt, and itis obvious that the best point is Where the thread comes out of thebolt-opening of the nut, as at this point it requires but a slightspreading or deflection of the thread to engage the adjacent outersurface of the nut and there is no danger of breaking the thread,because the latter when slightly offset ordeflected laterally isarrested by contact with the face of the nut. Should the thread be upsetat a point diametrically opposite from where it comes out of thebolt-opening of the nut, it would require several heavy blows to upsetthe thread sufficiently to engage the nut, as the thread is situated ataconsiderable distance from the nut, and in the majority of cases theupset portion would be entirely broken out of the thread, whereby therewould be no locking connection between the bolt and the nut. Moreover,in an ordinary bolt and nut it is difficult to quickly determine wherethe thread of the bolt comes out of the bolt-opening of the nut, andtherefore I provide the nut with conspicuous means for indicating wherethe thread-groove comes out, and said means also serves to indicate atwhat point to upset the bolt-thread, whereby this indicating meansreally has a double function. In the present specific manner of carryingout the invention by the employment of a socket or depression the latteralso serves as a locking-seat for the reception of the upset portion ofthe boltthread, whereby the nut is locked against accidental turning inopposite directions.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the presentinvention provides an exceedingly simple and inexpensive nutlock whichmaybe readily applied to interlock the nut upon the bolt againstaccidental displacement and at the same time permits of the removalthereof, when desirable, by the application of force. Moreover, allmovable or separate parts are dispensed with, so that there is no dangerof loss of such parts,'and the device is always in proper condition tobe locked or unlocked.

It will be observed by reference to the drawings and understood from theforegoing description that the nut has an ofiset engaging surface formedby the inclined notch or recess in the face of the nut and that the saidoffset engaging surface is disposed at a lateral incline to the face ofthe nut, the said incline in the form of my invention here shown beingformed by the end of the notch or recess 3, which notch or recessenables an exposed thread of the bolt to be upset and caused to bearagainst said laterally-inclined offset to lock the nut on the bolt andyet when the nut is forced, as by a wrench, to release it adapted torestore the upset thread of the bolt to its normal shape.

WVhat I claim is 1. The combination with a bolt, of a nut having aconcaved depression in the face thereof adjacent to and opposite thepoint of emergence of the bolt-thread, the said depression having walls,which are inclined laterally to the face of the nut, the bolt-threadbeing depressed laterally into said depression, whereby the nut islocked to the bolt, and whereby on the application of power to turn saidnut, said bolt-thread is restored to its normal position by the inclinedWalls of the said depression and the nut unlocked, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination of a bolt and a nut thereon, the latter having anoffset engaging surface disposed at a lateral incline to its face butnot displacing or afiecting the thread thereof and opposite the threadof the bolt, said bolt-thread being offset laterally, in ad Vance ofsaid offset engaging surface, and engaging the same, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES HENRY SWINDELL.

Vitnesses:

T. W. EDWARDS, R. ROSIQUE.

